My Mind Is Blown: The Von Trapp's Are REAL?!

I don't know if I'm just slow on the uptake or something, but my lovely roommate has just informed me that the ever so lovely and charming Von Trapp family - aka those Sound of Music kids - is real! Well, at least, they are the inspiration for the film. How did this happen, you might ask? Well, let's recap, shall we?

So, being my ever outstpoken self, I happened to mention that I am not the biggest fan of The Sound of Music (said conversation came out of notification that the entire cast is going to be on Oprah tomorrow) and my roommate was highly taken aback.

"What? The Sound of Music was very important to my childhood. It's like my White Christmas," he said. He obviously knows my movie preferences.

In my usual fashion, I made some smarky comment on how I was dissatisfied with the kid being a Nazi and them simply running off into the hills at the end (hope I didn't give anything away there). I just don't happen to find that ending very satisfying. "I think it's overrated," I said.

"But that's what happened, they were real," he said.

And I was shocked. Literally. I sat with my mouth open, catching flies, for quite a long period of time. How can that be true? A European Patridge Family can't possibly exist! Nuns don't go singing on mountains! They even spoof it in Moulin Rouge, for crying out loud!

Alas, he (my roommate) even went to the trouble to find the proof for me, and I'm a sucker for facts ...

Check out some links that will make you question your childhood movie-watching forever:
1. http://www.trappfamily.com/story
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_von_Trapp
3. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E3713M

Here's a glimpse at the REAL Maria Von Trapp ...

I guess Julie got the scenery somewhat right ...

And, alas, in reality they did not run off to the hills and escape. Instead, the Von Trapp's just boarded the next train for Italy and were on their merry way ... it's not AS exciting, come to think of it, but still sort of touching, in a way.

My mind will continue to be blown for the remainder of the evening.

-E

The Secret of Kells

Oh, and go watch this movie... NOW.

The Secret of Kells. It's amazing. I'm sort of in love. It hasn't left my DVD player in over a week. Legit, it's Irish Animation at it's best. It should have kicked Up's arse at the Oscars, hands down. There seriously isn't any competition, in my opinion. And my Irish Cinema professor was an animator for the freaking Ninja Turtles, so that's saying a lot ...

-E



Aisling’s Song
You must go where I can not,
Pangur Ban Pangur Ban,
Nil sa saol seo ach ceo,
Is ni bheimid beo,
ach seal beag gearr.
Pangur Ban Pangur Ban,
Nil sa saol seo ach ceo,
Is ni bheimid beo,
ach seal beag gearr


You must go where I cannot
Pangur Ban, Pangur Ban
It’s a misty old world
and we are only in it for
a short, sharp while

I think I'm the only person who enjoys going to gaol

Kilmainham Gaol, that is.

I spent yet another afternoon there this week, and I’m finding the E6.20 I have to spend to get there (E2.20 for the 78a, then E2 admissions) to be more than worth it, because every time I go I am fascinated and riveted by the lives of the people who spent time in those halls, two people in particular: Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford.

The son of an Irish Unionist, Joseph Plunkett was a Nationalist and the leader of the 1916 Easter Rebellion who was jailed, court martialed, and sentenced to execution. Before his death, the gaol granted permission for Plunkett to marry his longtime sweetheart Grace Gifford, and subsequently suffered death by firing squad.

I’m thinking of writing about the two of them for my thesis, do a historical fiction screenplay type of thing chronicling their relationship as a parallel to the Irish Rebellion. What do you think, interwebs?

For more simplistic pop culture/visual references, Kilmainham is:

the prison in In The Name of the Father

the prison in Michael Collins

the execution ground in The Tudors

U2 has performed there

opera performances

etc. etc. etc.

-E